The Crane Cab
by Morticia'sGrandRomance
Summary: This is a story focusing on Lilith, set during "The Stork Brings A Crane" in season eight, from the time Frasier leaves her in the hospital, to the time he returns to find her with Frederick


Author's Note: This is my first non-Addams Family fic, so it was a bit different to write, but hopefully I've pulled it off. Please read and review, and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Cheers

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_"I'll be right back, hon," Frasier told her. "Uh, will you be alright?"_

_"Sure," Lilith replied, her head tilted skyward. "I'm just counting the tiny holes in the ceiling tiles. Of course, now that you've interrupted me, I'm going to have to start all over."_

_"That's my girl," he shot her a smile before scurrying after Sam and the young girl from the bed next to Lilith's._

_"One, two, three, four-"_

_A doctor stepped into the room, checking his chart._

_"Oh, doctor, thank god," Lilith looked back down at the man across from her. "I felt so isolated here. I guess I had false labor. I'm just so terribly embarrassed because I'm a doctor myself and I was so sure this was the real thing. Not to mention the fact that I was sure I'd become a mother today and now I have to go on waiting. I need someone to talk me through this, and please, please, tell me what to do."_

_"False labor. Go home," he turned on his heel and left._

Lilith let out a heavy sigh, this whole experience was so humiliating. She'd made a fool of herself in front of everyone at Cheers, not that she cared so much about them but there _had_ been a camera crew there, and now she didn't even have her child yet. Frasier and Sam had walked off with a woman who had to endure birth alone- very honourable, she thought. She grabbed onto the bed head and wriggled out of the hospital bed. She pulled the curtain shut around her bed, and removed her hospital gown, once again pulling the red maternity dress over her head. Not quite wanting to put on her high heels again she hooked her fingers through the back and carried them with her.

"Excuse me," she said as she passed a nurse. "I'm not sure where my husband went, have you seen him?"

"What does he look like?" the young nurse asked.

"He's got a lot of thinning hair, and a ridiculous face," she replied, slightly miffed at him for leaving her. "He was with a woman giving birth, and a man with a nice smile and good hair."

"Oh," the nurse nodded. "I saw them, they went down that corridor, but you can't go in there, unless you're giving birth."

"Well, I'm most certainly not doing that," Lilith replied with a huff. "Thank you, nurse."

Lilith peered down the corridor to see if she could spot her husband, and unable to do so she made her way to the payphone to call a cab. She rubbed her stomach soothingly as her baby kicked, just wishing that it would make its appearance soon, before Frasier actually talked her into inducing labor.

She slipped her shoes back on before going outside to wait for her cab. Luckily it didn't take too long to show up, and she slid into the back seat, giving the driver her home address. They were about halfway there when Lilith felt a gentle pop, followed by a wet sensation down her legs. She was just about to ask the cab driver to turn back around when her labor pains started again.

"Woah!" she hollered, glad she was already seated.

"Hey lady, you alright?" the cab driver asked.

Lilith gritted her teeth, "Fine, but I think you need to turn around and take me back to the hospital."

"Are you havin' that babe?" he glanced at her in the rear view mirror.

She gasped for air as another contraction hit her.

"I'll take that as a yes," the cabbie made a swift, and illegal, u-turn, and began driving back to the hospital.

"Ma'am, do you need me to call your husband?"

Lilith shook her head, squeezing the headrests of the front seats, "No, he's already at the hospital. I thought I had false labor before, I suppose it must have just been the first stage."

She let out another scream as the most intense contraction rolled through her body.

"My God!" she panted. "I think it's starting."

The cab driver looked at her with panic in his eyes, "Do you need me to pull over?"

"How far is the hospital?" Lilith asked, as she pulled off her shoes and hooked her feet on the arm rests of the doors either side of her.

"Prob'ly two minutes?"

"Keep going then," Lilith instructed, groaning once more.

"Here ma'am," the cab driver handed her the foam-rubber dice from his mirror. "When my wife had our little ones they gave her something to bite down on. Maybe this'll do you?"

"Thank you," Lilith shoved the dice into her mouth, biting down hard as another contraction began.

She spat them out and looked at the driver, "I'm going to have to start pushing now. Keep driving. If I say pull over, damn well pull over right away, alright?"

"Yes ma'am," the cabbie nodded as he very blatantly sped through a red light.

As the next contraction began she bit down once again on the dice, and started pushing. Unfortunately, her feet pushed the doors open, causing several motorists to honk, and swerve. Panting heavily, she leaned over and shut each door, before reaching down and feeling for her child. It was crowning so she left her hands there as the next contraction began. The doors opened once again, but despite the squeal of tyres, Lilith did not look up as she concentrated on her task. She felt the head ease out into her palms, and smiled despite the pain.

"One more ought to do it," she announced wearily, attempting to sound blasé.

"We're here," the cabbie replied. "I'll get help."

He ran off quickly, and returned just as Lilith was cradling the infant, having finished giving birth only moments before. The doctors he had returned with assisted in cutting the cord, congratulating the woman on her effort in the back of the cab. Two nurses helped her into a wheelchair.

"Wait one second," Lilith said, barely audible from exhaustion.

She turned to the cabbie, slipping a business card from her purse.

"Here. Once you've worked out the fare, and any damages, or fines you may have accumulated on this trip, give me a call. I'll pay you back in full. Thank you for everything."

The cab driver gave a little salute, "Rest well."

Lilith was vaguely aware of being returned to her hospital room from before, slipped into a gown, and examined, before someone placed her son in her arms, and she began to doze in and out of sleep.

The next thing she was fully aware of was her husband's shout of surprise.

_"Woah! Who is that?"_

_Lilith looked up from her slumber and smiled, "You son."_

_She shifted the bundle on her chest to allow her husband to see their son._

_"My son?" Frasier smiled with more mirth than she'd ever seen emit before. "A boy? I'm a father! I'm a- Sam, Sam, I have a son!"_


End file.
